Don Stratton is a musician (fiddle, banjo, guitar) and dance caller for contra dances and square dances. Don’s music reflects his love for fiddle and banjo tunes from the southern Appalachians as well as the dance music of New England. He is an avid dance musician who plays fiddle with the band Red Dog Riley.
As a dance caller, he brings a welcoming and relaxed style to the mic. He calls primarily in Vermont and surrounding states. His repertoire includes modern New England contras as well as southern squares and big circle dances. Through it all he strives to lead interesting dances that will bring smiles to experienced dancers and novices alike.
He recently retired from teaching biology at the University of Vermont, which now gives him more time for playing music, writing tunes, and sharing the joy of community dance!
More about me
I’ve been playing music for contra dances since the early 1980s. I started out as a hammered dulcimer player but then took up the fiddle when I moved to Vermont. Now I play primarily fiddle with our band Red Dog Riley. When I’m not playing dances, I am an avid old-time fiddle and banjo player and I spend many weekends joyfully hanging out with friends and playing tunes just for fun.
Calling dances began by accident. Our band had committed to an event that was coming up soon and we couldn’t find a caller. So I volunteered. And I had a great time! I’ve continued to call and now do 2-3 dances a month. I’ve called dances all around the area: in Vermont, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Pennsylvania. I’ve called for large halls with experienced dancers as well as small groups of beginners. I’ve led play party games for children as well as seated square dances in a nursing home.
In other parts of my life, I have a PhD in Ecology and Evolutionary Biology and I had a long career teaching biology, first at Princeton University and then the University of Vermont. I am now retired and I live in Bristol, Vermont.